February 6, 2013

For Iran, All Nuclear Politics Is Local

Given the political and economic upheaval in Iran, the United States may consider itself in a position of strength and continue to pressure the regime on unilateral concessions. However, the problem for the Islamic regime, and particularly for Ayatollah Khamenei, is that such concessions might risk domestic dissent. Historically, the national narrative has been about independence and sovereignty - especially relative to the United States. The discourse of freedom and democracy comes second. Iran's negotiators can easily be goaded into taking a hard line.

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